In Lee County, Christian Arenas Closes the Distance to His Diploma

For Christian Arenas, doing the work of high school wasn’t the issue. Getting there was. 

Christian, a senior, had been doing well at his former high school in Cape Coral, Florida. But his mom, who supports her family on a nurse’s salary, could no longer afford their neighborhood. And once they moved, the length of the drive and the lack of school bus service made it impossible for Christian to get to his old school. 

He tried an online school but said that wasn’t a good fit, either. “I’m not meant for online. I’m meant for a teacher to be in front of me.” 

Although he was well into his senior year, Christian says, “I was on the verge of dropping out. Honestly, I didn’t know what I was going to do. I was kind of lost.” 

But then he found out about the recently opened Lee County Acceleration Academies in Fort Myers, which works in partnership with the public school district to provide a flexible, personalized path for learners like Christian. Not only is the LCAA campus easier for Christian to get to, but it also offers him the flexibility to come on campus three days a week and work the other two from home. 

Regardless of whether he’s at the academy or working remotely, Christian knows he’ll get the support — both academic and personal — that he needs. 

“I’ve been loving it,” Christian says.

Christian is 18, quiet and thoughtful. When he first arrived at LCAA, he admits to some jangly nerves. “I was expecting a lot of stuff to be thrown at me, but they helped me along. I caught on really quickly.” 

He likes the Acceleration Academies model of students — who are called “graduation candidates” to remind them of their goals — taking just one course at a time. It’s an approach that invites them to master one subject before moving on to the next. 

Christian is on a roll, says graduation candidate advocate Jonathan Pauyo. “Every assignment that he completes he’s getting 90s and 100s on. He’s been doing really well.”

Christian loves computer video games and would like to study computer science in college, learning to write code and use technology to solve problems. At some point, he might like to move back to Puerto Rico with his mother to be closer to family. 

His outlook is bright, and Christian says LCAA has a lot to do with that. According to Pauyo, Christian brightens the academy as well. 

“I see how hard you work. You should be proud of what you’ve done,’ Pauyo tells him. “I’m going to be right out there when you get your diploma, shouting your name.” 

Lee County Acceleration Academies accepts new students on a rolling basis. For more information, check out the academy web page and fill out an online enrollment form.